Abstract:ObjectiveSince the homeless are at greater risk of encountering health problems than the general population, the reasons for and incidence of their presentations to emergency departments also vary. The purpose of this study was to determine the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of Turkish homeless patients who brought to the emergency department by ambulance.Materials and methodsThe records of homeless adult patients brought to the ED by 112 emergency service ambulance teams over a 1-year period fr… Show more
“…This is not a solely economic issue, but also a problem of patient exposure to cumulative doses of ionizing radiation [ 30 ]. These results differ from those reported by Yeniocak et al [ 17 ], where homeless patients admitted for trauma as well as for non-trauma-related reasons, had radiological examinations performed as standard. The percentage of CT scans performed was 3 times less than all X-ray examinations performed.…”
Section: Discussioncontrasting
confidence: 99%
“…No trend in the seasonal nature of admissions is also confirmed by Brown et al [ 16 ]. On the other hand, Yeniocak et al [ 17 ] pointed out a clear seasonal variation in the number of admissions of injured homeless patients. The vast majority of admissions of such patients occurred during the summer months, which is associated by the author with the increased presence of homeless people on the streets and thus a greater likelihood of exposure to injury.…”
For homeless people, emergency departments (ED) are the place of medical care and satisfying physiological, safety and social needs. The treatment of the homeless in EDs is a common issue in many countries. The aim of study was to analyze selected parameters of health care to homeless people in EDs. The authors examined the frequency and the seasonality of admissions, their causes, stay duration, insurance status, and the type of radiological diagnostics performed. Material and Methods: A retrospective analysis of stays of homeless patients in 3 EDs in one of the largest cities in Poland in 2013-2015 was carried out. Patients were qualified to the population of homeless people based of their registering in ED. Data was obtained on the total number of homeless patients' stays in all 3 EDs, which amounted to 3133. Results: During the 3 years of analysis: 1042 homeless individuals were identified staying 3133 times in EDs; 46.3% of the stays concerned uninsured homeless people; 31% were under influence of alcohol. On average, men used ED services 3 times, while women only twice. No significant seasonality of admissions was observed. Homeless people were admitted mainly for mental disorders and head injuries. Radiological tests were performed 1577 times, including 83% being CT scans. On average, women and those >30 stayed in EDs for the shortest time. The hospital wards admitted 9.3% of the patients. Conclusions: Almost half of homeless patients repeatedly use ED services, regardless of the season. A patient's stay typically lasts 6 h. Half of them were uninsured. The main reasons for admission include mental and behavioral disorders, mostly due to alcohol use and head injuries. The primary radiological diagnostics used were CT scans.
“…This is not a solely economic issue, but also a problem of patient exposure to cumulative doses of ionizing radiation [ 30 ]. These results differ from those reported by Yeniocak et al [ 17 ], where homeless patients admitted for trauma as well as for non-trauma-related reasons, had radiological examinations performed as standard. The percentage of CT scans performed was 3 times less than all X-ray examinations performed.…”
Section: Discussioncontrasting
confidence: 99%
“…No trend in the seasonal nature of admissions is also confirmed by Brown et al [ 16 ]. On the other hand, Yeniocak et al [ 17 ] pointed out a clear seasonal variation in the number of admissions of injured homeless patients. The vast majority of admissions of such patients occurred during the summer months, which is associated by the author with the increased presence of homeless people on the streets and thus a greater likelihood of exposure to injury.…”
For homeless people, emergency departments (ED) are the place of medical care and satisfying physiological, safety and social needs. The treatment of the homeless in EDs is a common issue in many countries. The aim of study was to analyze selected parameters of health care to homeless people in EDs. The authors examined the frequency and the seasonality of admissions, their causes, stay duration, insurance status, and the type of radiological diagnostics performed. Material and Methods: A retrospective analysis of stays of homeless patients in 3 EDs in one of the largest cities in Poland in 2013-2015 was carried out. Patients were qualified to the population of homeless people based of their registering in ED. Data was obtained on the total number of homeless patients' stays in all 3 EDs, which amounted to 3133. Results: During the 3 years of analysis: 1042 homeless individuals were identified staying 3133 times in EDs; 46.3% of the stays concerned uninsured homeless people; 31% were under influence of alcohol. On average, men used ED services 3 times, while women only twice. No significant seasonality of admissions was observed. Homeless people were admitted mainly for mental disorders and head injuries. Radiological tests were performed 1577 times, including 83% being CT scans. On average, women and those >30 stayed in EDs for the shortest time. The hospital wards admitted 9.3% of the patients. Conclusions: Almost half of homeless patients repeatedly use ED services, regardless of the season. A patient's stay typically lasts 6 h. Half of them were uninsured. The main reasons for admission include mental and behavioral disorders, mostly due to alcohol use and head injuries. The primary radiological diagnostics used were CT scans.
“…Respiratory conditions contributed between 1.8% of ED attendance, in a study using national population data from the NHAMCS database, [ 40 ] to 15% in a study evaluating data of those brought by ambulance and non-trauma-related attendance [ 38 ]. Three studies reported both PEH and non-homeless data, producing RRs which ranged from 0.63 [ 40 ] to 1.01 [ 26 ].…”
Background
Persons experiencing homelessness (PEH) often use hospital Emergency Department (ED) as the only source of healthcare. The aim of this study was to undertake a systematic review to identify the prevalence, clinical reasons and outcomes in relation to ED visits by PEH.
Methods
A protocol-led (CRD42020189263) systematic review was conducted using search of MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL and Google Scholar databases. Studies that reported either the prevalence of homelessness in the ED or clinical reasons for presentation to ED by PEH and published in English language were included. Definitions of homelessness used by study authors were accepted.
Results
From the screening of 1349 unique titles, a total of 36 studies were included. Wide variations in the prevalence and key cause of presentations were identified across the studies often linked to differences in country, study setting, disease classification and data collection methods. The proportion of ED visits contributed by PEH ranged from 0.41 to 19.6%. PEH made an average of 0.72 visits to 5.8 visits per person per year in the ED [rate ratio compared to non-homeless 1.63 to 18.75]. Up to a third and quarter of the visits were contributed by alcohol-related diagnoses and substance poisoning respectively. The percentage of PEH who died in the ED ranged from 0.1 to 0.5%.
Conclusions
Drug-, alcohol- and injury-related presentations dominate the ED visits by PEH. Wide variations in the data were observed in regard to attendance and treatment outcomes. There is a need for prevention actions in the community, integrated discharge and referral pathways between health, housing and social care to minimise frequent usage and improve attendance outcomes.
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